The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-04-30
SMALLPOX AT LAHAINA.
Particulars Of the Quarantine.
Report Of Officer Reynolds to the Board
Of Health.
LAHAINA, April aSth, 1887.
His ExcELLENcY w. M. GIBSON,

1
President Board Of Health.
SiR:-I have the honor to submit to
Your Excellency the following report
concerning the case Of smallpox among
the japanese at Lahaina and the quar-.
antine imposed on account of the
same.
On my arrival here on the morning
of the Iath inst. DR.. Kuehn and myself
visited the patient at the pest-house. l
found him thickly covered with an
eruption; there were also several sores
on his legs and loins, the latter most
likely syphilis. On examining the
eruption found it to be Of two dis.
tinct kinds, large majority Of it being
superficial. On opening the same
found they contained a watery fluid,
decidedly not smallpox.
There we're about fifty other pus.
tules, half Of which seemed to have
been forced towards maturity, most
likely by the use Of caustic, which from
experience | know to be a Japanese
mode of treatment in smallpox cases.
The other half we're well developed
pustules, having deep base under the
skin, and containing thick pus en-
tirely different TO those first mentioned.
The patients mouth gave additional
proof of the nature Of the disease. On
the skin between the pustules l noticed
one or two marks which suggested the
idea Of previous smallpox. AS Mr..
Suja, the interpreter, end the Japanese
doctor we're present, | asked thespa-
tient il he had had smallpox before.
He stated that be had it when young.
In spite Of the above information |
could come to no other conclusion
than that il was a case of smallpox Of
mild form, and after watching the case
for a day or two was satisfied that the
doctors had decided Alright. Two or
three days after my arrival the erup-
ton first mentioned commenced to
dry up and disappear, and by the 18th
inst was entirely gone, leaving the
smallpox pustules well defined and
progressing in the ordinary manner.
DR.. Kuehn and myself made a thor
ough inspection of the Japanese in
quarantine yesterday, and with the aid
Of an interpreter obtained the following
facts regarding their protection from
smallpox by previous smallpox or vac
cination. Out of SIS Japanese living in
the house in quarantine az had small
pox before. About bali Of this number
show strong marks Of the disease, one
fourth show slight marks, and we have
taken the word of the remaining fourth
that they had it, although ii has left no
marks. Eleven OF the Japanese who
have not had smallpox show good
marks of having been successfully vac
cinated in Japan, and two only Of them
show neither smallpox nor vaccination
marks.
From careful inquiries | find that
the patient was taken with the fever
April Ist, the eruption broke out on
the 4th, and the man was removed to
the pest.house on the morning Of the
Sth. The house was thoroughly fumi-
gated and disiniected, and with the 81
Japanese was placed under strict quar-
antine. There was also a quarantine
placed on the town by order Of DR..
Kuehn, but this was afterwards raised
by orders from other quarters Upon
my arrival here, after having seen the
patient, ] decided to re-quarantine the
town, also Olowalu, and as there are no
signs OF any more cases, | have raised
the quarantine this morning.
l have had the Japanese quarters
again disinfected, and the quarters Of
other laborers have been cleaned and
disinfected by w. Y. Homer at my
request, and every precaution taken to
put the place in as good sanitary con
dition as possible. Since the quaran-
tine was imposed, aa9 persons have
been vaccinated.
am, Sir your obedient servant,
c. b. REYNOLDS,
AGENT BOARD of Health